Sapp charged with domestic battery

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Former NFL star Warren Sapp has been charged with domestic battery in South Florida, and the analyst will not be part of the NFL Network's Super Bowl coverage on Sunday.

Sapp

Sapp was charged with one count of misdemeanor domestic battery and is expected to appear before a Miami-Dade County judge Sunday, Miami Beach police spokesman Juan Sanchez said.

The NFL Network spokesman Dennis Johnson released this statement: "We have been made aware of the arrest of Warren Sapp by the Miami Beach Police Department. In light of these circumstances, Warren Sapp will not appear on NFL Network while we review the matter."

The domestic violence allegation was reported around noon Saturday and detectives interviewed Sapp later that day, Sanchez said. The alleged physical altercation against a female acquaintance took place at 6 a.m. ET Saturday at the Shore Club Hotel, where Sapp was staying, ESPN's Kelly Naqi reported, according to a source.

The victim had a swollen knee and bruises on her neck, according to an arrest affidavit. She told detectives that she was partying with Sapp and her friends at the hotel and asked for his room key when she grew tired. Sapp reportedly woke up the victim a few hours later and they started to argue. She told investigators that Sapp started to choke her and pushed her down on a couch.

As the argument escalated, Sapp grabbed the woman by her shirt and neck and threw her down again, the affidavit states.

Sapp told investigators that he let the woman stay in his room but asked her to leave a few hours later. He told police that the woman fell on her leg when he tried to help her get off a couch.

A telephone message left for Sapp's attorney was not immediately returned, nor was an e-mail.

Sanchez said Sapp was expected to be transferred to Miami-Dade County jail Saturday.